WEST DEPTFORD — Gov. Chris Christie and State Senate President Steve Sweeney have stood side by side touting the economic promise of new buildings at Rowan University and at Rutgers University in Camden.

But today's groundbreaking for a Adult Center for Transition building at Gloucester County Community College was personal.

"We're here today for one reason: Everyone has value and everyone deserves an education and a purpose in life and an opportunity to follow their dreams," Sweeney said.

At his side was his daughter, Lauren, who was born with Down Syndrome. "Am I right, Lauren?" he asked as she beamed. "She's hamming it up now," he joked.

When it's finished in 2015, the $4 million building will teach job training skills to up to 50 students on the campus of the community college. Sweeney said he'd like to see the program for individuals with developmental disabilities replicated across the state.

"This is the result of people in Trenton working together and putting the needs and the concerns of the people we represent first," Christie said.

The project is one of dozens that will be funded in part by a $750 million bond issue ratified by voters last year.

Christie and Sweeney emphasized a message of bipartisanship just hours after Christie dropped his administration's appeal of a state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage — an issue that divides the Republican governor and the Democratic Senate president.

After the groundbreaking, Christie — who has not taken questions from the press in more than a month — ignored reporters' questions about marriage equality, climbed into a waiting SUV and drove away.